Sex Drugs and Rock n' Roll
by Moe Shmoe
Summary: UPDATED BY REQUESTS Jack is 18 and going down hill against a battle with drugs and crime, his mother and brothers try to hold onto their Jack before they loose him for good.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: Same old I own nothing, reveiws are great, enjoy!

Everyone seemed to think of the blacks causing all the trouble in this city, the hustlers, pimps, gangstas'. No one ever thought much about the white boys that came downtown into the police station. The worst they would do is hold up a liquor store or brake into a car maybe beat their wife. Petty stuff like that was all they were capable of, no one thought much about them.

They could be something more of a problem though at times and much scarier. The white man held the power over this whole country, but in Detroit the black man ruled over the white man with a sort of bitter resentment at times. To be white in this part of town you had to be something tougher, something a little more unpredictable and crazier to make a hustler want to have a step away from you in the other direction.

The Mercer brother's seemed to master this art, they had to or they would be sitting ducks were they lived. Bobby was the oldest and the scariest out of all four of them, very quick to pull a gun and quicker to stare back into the eye of anyone no matter who they were. When the youngest joined the family, he was pretty much a bundle of nerves but was hardened by the storms of his life.

Bobby taught Jack almost everything he knew, or as much as he could seeing he was always in and out of jail. Jack still appeared to be nothing more then a push over of a white boy who dressed funny and listened to loud music. You soon learned though he could hold a gun, and didn't hold much remorse or empathy. Maybe that's what gave him the edge, no one ever showed him mercy; empathy is taught you see.

Jack was eighteen this year, an adult that could be tried as an adult and go to adult jail. This birthday thrilled most any cop that had busted him in the past, their fingers itching to throw hand cuffs on the boy that all these years spit in their faces, stomped on there shins to escape being arrested, broke their car windows when he was high with his friends just for the hell of it. Yeh, every cop watched him now just waiting for him to fuck up, which wouldn't take long.

His friends were as much trouble as he was on the streets; they were punks and junkies nothing more. They traveled like a gang but had no use for organized crime or making a name amongst the others on the street. They just wanted to ruin everything for no apparent reason, lots of time motivated by drugs they were on.

Jack had tagged along with these people since he was fifteen, but only recently had his life style began to take a visible toll on him. The coloring around his eyes was forever dark, and his body was a very skinny 150 pounds for someone who was six feet tall. Maybe he could hide his weight loss if he didn't wear his pants and shirts so tight. He was always in a daze that was hard to pick up on seeing as he was quiet a lot.

His brothers saw the change but it bothered Bobby the most watching his youngest brother waist away. Now and then Bobby would try to talk to him but Jack had the ability to put up a wall that no one could get threw if he truly wanted that.

"Jackie…hold on a minute." Bobby said one afternoon as his brother passed him by; he took hold of jack by his uper arm his whole hand going around the skinny limb. Jack turned his head looking at Bobby waiting to see what he had to say but for a moment Bobby forgot and just looked at his brother.

He wore tight black jeans Bobby knew they were the ones with the rip in the ass, because he'd always poke the hole with one of mom's knitting needles saying how much Jack loved it. Some stupid punk band t-shirt with a homemade silk screen on the chest that was washing off and fraying at the ends falling apart with a white long underwear shirt underneath it.

"Look at you." Was all Bobby could say, Jack gave him a dirty look pulling his arm away.

"Fuck yourself Bobby." Jack hissed walking off expecting the conversation to lead into the 'you're a huge fag look how you dress.' deal

"Hey! You fucking little stink! Get back over here!" Bobby shouted grabbing hold of Jack by his studded belt yanking him back.

"_Look at me_? Get the fuck out of here with your crap Bobby I don't want to hear it today!" Jack shouted back over Bobby's ranting as he shoved Bobbt against the wall.

Bobby shoved him back and they began to throw punches at each other tumbling in the hallway.

"You two knock it off!" Jerry shouted over them stepping into the hallway, tired of his things falling off the shelves in his bedroom from them knocking around the whole house.

"Bobby! Bobby stop it he can't breathe! The winds knocked out him!" Jerry dragged his baby brother out of the knot of fist and kicks he and Bobby made on the floor. Jack was pulled away gasping for air none the less he managed to throw one last kick at Bobby's head.

"Lay off him! Let him get his breath!" Jerry snapped at his big brother, warning him to stay where he was.

It took a moment to get air back into his lungs the whole while his eyes were wide and he was making a whimper in the back of his throat as he held onto his chest. Bobby watched him act like this reminding him of a time when one of Jack's ugly friends ran across town to find Bobby to pick Jack up. He had taken something and whatever it was, was bad Bobby found him curled up in the corner at some sketchy apartment doing that same having trouble breathing face, his body shaking. Bobby hated that day it was terrifying.

When Bobby came out of his little flashback Jerry was shutting Jack's bedroom door saying something to Jack who was inside as he did so.

"Jerry, don't act like you don't see what's happening to him." Bobby said in a softer voice to keep away from listening ears.

Their mother was at the store but Bobby didn't want Jack to hear.

"I know man, shit we all know…mom can't get threw to him though… he's at his wits ends I think." Jerry said as he jester for Bobby to come talk in his bedroom with him, Bobby shut Jerry's door behind them making a face as he did so.

"From what?" He stupidly asked, Jerry gave him a look saying it was a stupid question.

"You know all that shit that goes on in that kids head, you can just watch the gears turning as he stares out into space." Jerry said as if it was obvious,

Bobby sighed thinking about when they were little, how Jack would just come to him if he were upset. He would never say what upset him but he just wanted to be around someone he felt safe with. He did it once in a great while now days but not like before, and it wasn't because Jack had less worries.

"I just…I just watch him move around this house with this dead look on his face now…I watch him pick his food and not eat any of it…I watch his ugly friends on the streets doing junk-"

"He can't keep up this lifestyle for much longer Bobby, he's coming to his breaking point." Jerry said, it was meant to make Bobby feel better but it only made the both of them feel worse.


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Thanks for everyone that reviewed, more to come after this chapter, enjoy!

Bobby didn't much feel like going out that night, his mind was still on his baby brother. He grumbled at his non ability to sleep rolling over wrapping himself deeper into his covers. He glanced at the clock, it was two in the morning and their was nothing worse then the pressure of trying to make yourself go to sleep when your heart just wasn't in it. Bobby's door creaked open making him turn his head over his shoulder, it was Jack.

He must have just gotten in, which in no way was allowed in this house but all of the boys snuck out. Jack still wore those heavy army boots and his leather jacket; his feet heavily dragged his body over to the foot of the bed.

"What Jackie?" Bobby asked, he figured he wouldn't be talking to Jack for a day or two after their fight this afternoon, but here he was.

Jack dropped his knees on the end of the mattress pausing there for a long moment then crawled over to Bobby and laid down a foot or two away from his brother.

"Get you shit kickers off my blanket." Was all Bobby could find he could say, he was so puzzled by this whole encounter. With out a word Jack kicked his boots off; they landed on the floor with a thud, the heavy zippers rattling.

"Are we going to spoon or somthin'?" Bobby asked trying to break this horrible dread that lingered in the air with the entrance of Jack.

"Bobby…" Jack softly said his voice cracked and tired as if he had been crying for a long time or just shaken up.

"I'm right here." Bobby said in a soft voice pulling his blanket over Jack. No matter how strange or mean Jack could be Bobby would forgive him in a heart beat with open arms. He had to, half of his brothers mannerisms and habit s were no fault of his own.

"You wanna' talk or go to sleep?" He really did have a soft side for his little brother when he was like this, Jack had a hard shell he didn't show how he hurt to just anyone. Bobby could recall the damaged goods of a little boy that first came to the house, he didn't show any emotion for his first few weeks.

"Sleep." Jack said in that hurt sad voice that always killed Bobby when ever he heard it, Bobby reached his arm out ruffling Jack's hair.

"Then take your coat off, stay for a while." Bobby yawned rolling over facing his back to his brother. He lay there for maybe ten minutes, his mind at ease more now that Jack was here safe for now.

"Bobby…I _can't_ sleep." Jack suddenly stated, Bobby groaned but the way Jack said it made him wonder and he turned the lamp on by his bed.

"Aw shit Jackie!" Bobby moaned looking over at Jack who lay on his side with the remains of a bloody nose dried on his upper lip. His eyes were blood shot and had that wired look to them.

"You can't do that shit like its powdered sugar! Look at you…aw god." Bobby grumbled looking Jack over a bit closer taking hold of his shaking wrist pushing back his sleeve.

There was an old bandage wrapped around his wrist looking crooked as if he wrapped it himself. Jack was a cutter Bobby knew it, that's why he wore those wrist bands when ever he wore a T-shirt, but he could get carried away going all down his forearm at times. Mom kept the kitchen knives locked away in a special drawer because of this but it never stopped him one bit.

"What's happening to you?" Bobby said in his moment of distress sounding so lost, unsure how to handle his brothers self destruction. He rubbed his face in his hands for a moment taking a large breath of air to clear his mind long enough to help Jack.

"Ok, ok…hold on." Bobby said getting to his feet going over to his closet feeling around the top shelf. He knew someone who was a janitor in the local hospital, and around the time Jack started getting into drugs Bobby made a deal with the guy. The hospital carried preloaded shots for their first response teams to give to people that came in high. It was an amazing drug, instantly killing the high for the person. Jack bough a couple from the kid for times like these.

"It might pinch." Was all Bobby said taking Jack's arm firmly giving him the shot, Jack hissed but the loss of his high suddenly hit him far harder.

"Aww…shit." He moaned holding onto his head rolling it side to side as Bobby got back into bed.

"Feel like shit? Gee, I wonder if you knocked off the drugs you'd feel better." Bobby grumbled getting comfortable once again in his bed, Jack moaned at his sudden with drawls.

"Shut up!" He moaned still rolling about in the bed gritting his teeth trying to recall the last time he was this sober, this much in reality again.

"Shut up? Maybe you should get the fuck out of my room if you're going to bitch at me!" Jack snapped back, both of them keeping their voices in check at this hour of the night.

"No Bobby…"

"No? Get out of here fairy, cry in your own bed about your self inflicted misery." Bobby interrupted, he really didn't want Jack to leave he was just being a dick and he couldn't help but be one at times.

"_Please_ _stop_." Jack begged in that voice and Bobby fell silent with a sigh.

"You're killing me watching you Jackie, you know that?" Bobby sighed pulling Jack over to him wrapping his arms around him.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Jack echoed his voice muffled with his face buried in Bobby's shoulder.

"Shush, shush you'll work yourself up, go to sleep for now, you haven't been sleeping laity." Bobby said releasing Jack, the both of them going to separate ends of the bed.

Jack stood at the sink washing the dishes with Evelyn; he always helped her in the kitchen ever since he came to the Mercer family. In the beginning when Jack wouldn't talk Evelyn would sit him on the counter and she would explain to him everything she was doing when she cooked, just to have something to say to him and to keep him from zoning out for long periods of time.

He didn't help her cook anymore but if she asked he would silently do so, Evelyn was his saving grace he would do anything she ask…well almost.

"Jackie, are you sick?" Evelyn asked him as she dried a dish watching Jack's boney hands shaking and hearing his nose sniffing. Jack paused in his dish washing steadying his hands a bit more with great struggle.

"I think so mom." Jack quietly responded, each day that went by laity Jack seemed to remind her more of the little boy that first came here.

"You didn't want to go play hockey with Jerry, and Bobby this morning?"

"No, I don't feel good." Pulling a conversation out of him was like pulling teeth, Evelyn sighed taking the dish out of his hand.

"Hey- I'm not done with that- Mom! Come on!" Jack said as his mother herded him over to the table making him sit down.

"When was the last time you ate right? You're going to sit and eat a real meal and you're not getting up until your plate is clean." She said in a matter of fact way, Jack grinned at her then looked down at the table scratching a groove in the wood.

"What ever makes you feel better Ma."

Jerry was in the shower when he heard the door whip open with certain urgency and a pair of frantic foot steps to go along with it.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Jerry asked as if he was crazy bursting into the bathroom, Jack dropped to his knees in front of the toilet throwing up.

"Aw…man come on! You're going to make _me_ puke hearin' that!" Jerry said trying to ignore the sloshing sound of the vomit hitting the water.

"Mom made me eat-" Jack began but another wave of nausea hit him. "So much fucking bacon this morning!"

"Did eating bacon make you sick or the eating its self part make you sick?" Jerry asked putting him on the spot with his head in the toilet harshly puking.

"All I can taste is fucking bacon!" Jack snapped back at Jerry in between being sick, he was done in a few minutes after a couple of dry heaves he laid out on the tiled floor catching his breath.

"Mom's one step away from hooking you up to an IV of nothing _but_ bacon fat if you don't put some weight on soon you know." Jerry said standing over Jack as he tied his bathrobe belt.

"Ugh…don't mention bacon right now Jerry." Jack moaned shutting his eyes trying to block out how sick the thought of that damn breakfast meat was making him at this moment.

From down stairs you could hear the front door open, Bobby must have opened it because who ever was at the door he was yelling at.

"What he hell is his problem?" Jerry wondered now putting his attention to trying to hear what Bobby was yelling about.

"Dexter!" Jack suddenly said his eyes flashing open as he jumped up off the bathroom floor running down the stairs to the front door.

"Thank you Bobby." Jack said pushing past his brother meeting up with his friend Dexter who was at the door looking a bit like a deer in the head lights.

"I'm not done Jackie!" Bobby yelled but Jack pulled on Dexter's arm to tell him to run and the two of them took off down the street.

"One of these day's your brothers going to shoot me, I swear!" Dexter said giving a weary look as the two of them ran down the street, Jack spat at the comment.

Evelyn came behind Bobby just in time to see the small spec that was Jack and his friend rounding a corner going out of sight.

"Look at him, he's a frigin' Jack rabbit when he wants to be." Bobby grumbled waving his hand up in the air.

"I hate that kid Ma, that friend of his… him and his goofy nose ring and gay green hair, god I wanna kill him." Bobby said each insult a little more passionate then the next, he shut the door with more muscle then needed.


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Chapter three, no Dexter and Jack are not doing the broke back mountain thing  enjoy!

The industrial revolution was said to have started in Detroit, a land mark for things to come of production and technology. Sadly the revolution died there as well with everything being shipped over seas to be made by slave labor. With the end of the revolution countless buildings were left abandoned with no purpose other then to hold parties if you didn't want to be bothered by the cops.

Every group had their own building staked out, claimed as their party spot you knew better then to go hoping around in what ever building you wanted. A factory that once made hubcaps was Jack's friend's domain. They dragged couches and chairs in, also made a bar from oil drums and two by fours left behind. A lot of the tables tops were fashioned from old mirrors, and not for the sake of vanity mind you.

"So, we bust into the store, and the clerk is this little Indian guy, fucking_ screaming_ bloody murder at us swinging a baseball bat," Dexter said to two of their other friends as they sat around a coffee table with a mirror top with razor blades and cocaine lines measured out in front of each of them.

"He swings at Jack, I swear I though he was going to take Jackie's head off…Jack grabs the bat in mid air, rips it from the guys hand and shoves this dude into a whole display of pickles. Holy shit I couldn't stop laughing funniest shit I've seen."

The other two laughed and Jack gave a grin as he rolled one of the twenties they took from their robbery.

"What is that the fourth store you've robed now Jack?" His friend Pete asked as he rubbed his nose after doing a line.

"Naw…" Jack calmly said as he ducked his head down close to the table, "Second, you're hyping me up Pete." He said after taking a long hard snort, when in truth it was his fifth robbery.

"Christ man, your _down playing_ yourself every time I hear about some white guy breaking cop's wind shields in the police reports but no one getting arrested for it I just laugh because I know who it is." Benny said as he rubbed his finger across the space on the table in front of him rubbing what ever remains ended up on his finger in his mouth.

"Shit…I gotta lay low for a while, my family's been getting on my ass…and yeh know," Jack began but paused to rub his nose giving a sniff "The next time I am busted, I'm _fucked_."

Everyone around the table chuckled as they all kept their heads down looking at the tabletop idly rubbing their index fingers across the surface as the party went on around them.

"Great…" Dexter mumbled as he stared at the ground take a long drag from his cigarette, he didn't look in the direction of his disappointment not wanting to draw attention to himself. Jack kept his gaze on the table, his eyes flicking up now and then trying to see who had showed up, but he would soon find out weather he liked it or not.

"It's Crazy Mike…that fucking guy always ruins nights…" Dexter murmured to Jack who agreed with a knowing grunt.

Crazy mike was a senior veteran to everything around this group of people. An average height twenty nine year old guy. Who was extremely strong, extremely tattooed, and extremely crazed. Too many drugs in his day a lot of people said knocked his IQ down to almost mentally retarded but he was no fool. Maybe the mentally retarded thing was a rumor but half the shit he did never made sense. He would fuck anything that was human and took great pride in that, selling half his drugs in exchange for sex taking advantage of junkie girls…and boys.

"He stands next to me I feel like I gotta get tested for AIDS." Jack muttered watching the man make his rounds greeting the people he got along with and the people he didn't. Like him or not, Crazy Mike could kick anyone's ass and he carried some sort of respect for one reason or another.

To Jack he was nothing but a creep who made and sold date rape to finance his shitty apartment. Someone who didn't know personal space or any sense of basic respect. Mike liked Jack though due to his dislike to certain social situations, Jack was a source of amusement for him nothing more.

"You know," Mike said as he approached the two of them his cigarette bobbing in the corner of his mouth his eyes telling that he was thinking something off the wall.

"I heard you too robbed that Hindu run store on Prospect Street, what are you planning to buy?" Stores were only ever robbed to buy liquor, cigarettes, drugs, never for anything too practical or healthy.

"We split the money, its our own business what we do with it." Dexter said squaring his jaw, Mike grinned at him.

"You know were to go when you're in the market though." Mike reminded them, anything you wanted he could get you. The big time dealers in the city never much minded him selling on there blocks, they found him too crazy to deal with he was know to laugh threw beatings from other drugs dealers. Over time he was just left alone, he was only one man and mostly supplied his own friends so what was the harm in him.

"But Jack," Mike said looking over at Jack flashing him his yellow teeth. "It's always free for you baby…if you let me bend you over my kitchen table that is." He laughed at his own joke while Jack rolled his eyes diverting his head away as the man walked off to be with his own friends.

"When ever I have doubts I'm a complete loser I just take a look at that joke and instantly feel better." Jack grumbled Dexter just spat a laugh.

"He likes to fuck with you because he knows he can man, that's all it is." Dexter said the other two agreeing, Jack spat at them.

"Christ, sorry if I get sick when Crazy Mike suggests he fucks me in his kitchen, _and_ I'd like to meet the man that's gag reflex doesn't jerk when they hear that fucked up shit." Jack said in his own defense, Dexter laughed as he recounted his earnings from the robbery discretely.

"We did good tonight Jack, we did a damn fine job if I do say so." Dexter said clinking his beer against Jack's after he put his money away, Jack gave a smug grin as he leaned back against the wall.

"Yeh…" Jack agreed, it was a pretty good night and it would soon only get better once they made a deal. The night seemed so well until the sound of a gun went off everyone in the room flinched ducking down going into a panic.

"What the fuck…?" Jack said freezing up where he sat while the three other people he sat with bolted behind a near by couch.

"It's a fucking gang, god knows what they want." Dexter said as he took a glance around the corner of the sofa quickly jerking his head away from sight.

"Which one of you be robbin' my stores? You freaks have taken enough of our money!" One of them shouted swinging his hand gun around the room; no one said anything about Jack and Dexter. No one would, but the two of them still skipped a few heart beats

"Well look at this!" A deep voice said, Jack looked up to his surprise a huge black man stood looking down at him. Jack was pulled to his feet by the front of his jacket being brought into sight of every gangsta in there.

"Aint you Angel Mercer's cracka' brotha?" The man asked with a grin, clearly highly amused by Jack's family, which everyone else seemed to be.

"Y-yeh." Was all Jack could said as he looked at that hand gun that guy held in his hand.

"Well shit nigga, you're brotha's in the marines now aint he? Ha! Ha! Funny shit goes on in this world I tell yeh!" Another guy with an afro laughed approaching the youngest Mercer in a friendly manor, taking a look at Jack who was extremely pale.

"Now who has the fucking money here?" That same man with the afro said now with his gun against Jack's forehead his tone changed into something angrier.

"What the fuck dude?" Jack snapped at the guy more shocked then before at the sudden turn of events.

"Business is business _dude."_ Afro man replied he opened his mouth to say more but a fog light shined threw the windows and the sound of police sirens filled the room from the outside.

"The fucking pigs! Run!" Someone shouted, everyone in the room forgetting the sudden conflict at hand, now every man for themselves.

"Shit! This sucks so bad!" Dexter shouted over everyone as he quickly bent over another table snorting a line that someone had abandoned.

"You ready for the Detroit five hundred?" Dexter asked ask Jack as he did the same to someone else discarded line.

"Now I am." Jack laughed as the two of them took off threw the rest of the factory to make it out before they were surrounded.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: Thanks for all the nice reviews, keep em coming! Enjoy!

Bobby knew these rooms with no windows well, with their large mirrors with someone standing behind it watching him. He knew them all too well and had been inside every interrogation room Detroit had to offer.

"Bobby…this is just stupid." Decetive Green said walking into the room, Bobby gave a shrug.

"It was just a fist fight, nothing worth me being here Green." Bobby casually said in his own defense.

"A fist fight that was in the middle of Main Street!" Green said filling in the more 'minor' details of what got Bobby arrested.

"I'm sure everyone made it to work on time just fine!" Bobby snapped back his reasoning only mocking the detective about holding up traffic during his fight.

"You threw the guy on top of a moving car Bobby! You can't be throwing people on top of moving cars!" Green shouted slamming his hands on the tabletop as he did so Bobby chuckled reacting the fight in his head for a brief moment. Green sighed rubbing the back of his neck as he did a short pace around the small room. Jack Mercer had been missing for two days, Green knew that. The Mercer family was on edge by his vanishing act; Bobby was at his wits end trying to find him.

"Jack is going to show up Bobby, you leave town for weeks when you have to and your get upset beating the crap out of everyone when someone's gone for two days?" Green told Bobby trying to put things into perspective.

"It's different with him, it's serious when Jack goes missing." Bobby said in a softer stressed tone

"We can't help you find him if you don't tell me what you know." Green sighed but Bobby just shook his head no.

"No."

"No?"

"No." Bobby said again in a firmer tone looking right at Green who stood his ground.

"This is about Jack's last time in court right? Right Bobby?" Green pushed trying to get Bobby to talk but he just crossed his arms across his chest slouching in his seat.

"We were doing what was best for Jack you know-"

"Fuck you!" Bobby shouted jumping out of his seat staring daggers at Green "You tried to have him sent to a nut farm!"

"He beat two cops almost to death Bobby! And he doesn't even remember doing it!" Green shouted back, defending the court case.

"Those two so called cops were fucking with his head! They knew what they were doing and they knew what made Jack tick they dissevered every punch thrown at them!" Bobby shouted now seeing red about this whole past incident

"Those cops were fired, Jack was released on all charges and no one was sent to any 'nut farms' " Green stated in a matter of fact tone Bobby stood there giving him a long hard stare, if only looks could kill Green would be dead from that cold gaze he was receiving.

"Those cops tried to force Jack to blow them in the back of their cruiser…Jack gets edgy if you _hug_ him the wrong way." Bobby said his voice was calmer but his pain over the whole thing was clear, Green sighed once again rubbing his neck.

"No one will hurt you're brother when we bring him in, we just want to talk to him about some issues." Green sighed trying to get back on track to the current matter at hand.

"Jack's not going to talk to anyone until I bring him home and he spends a few nights in his own bed recovering."

"His addiction…its worse?" Green asked making Bobby sat back down in his chair as if the weight of the world was pushing him back into the seat.

"He just…" Bobby began as his eyes were kept on the table lost in thought for a moment "He just needs his family."

Spring was coming around but the earth was still frozen and the trees were all dead still covered in snow. Detroit came out of winter like an old man getting out of bed, slow and painfully. Everyone was used to the cold, it was in your blood if you lived here. Jack had never felt the cold though like he did now. It was like what he had known before was just an introduction to cold and now he was handed the real deal.

He wasn't ready to be arrested again after what happened last time, out of all places he never thought he'd find himself here.

Crazy Mike's apartment wasn't really the lice infected shit hole he had imagined, it was a piece of junk mind you but fairly kept together. Mike laughed when him and Dexter came knocking on his door for a place to stay, bent right over and laughed at them for a good couple of minutes before he let them in. Not under the kindness of his heart of course, he had his own interest. Jack handed over his share of the money from the robbery so they could catch their breath.

Jack glanced over at Dexter who was passed out on the floor his hand still around a beer bottle. The door from Mike's bedroom opened taking Jack's attention as a husky girl with poor dyed black hair came out of the room her hands clutching onto her bag.

"Bye Jack." The girl said shyly as she left, what was her name again? Jack had briefly talked to her at a party once, Helen or something. He only gave a nod and turned his head back to the window drawing lines in the frost.

"Who honestly said your sex life ends after the clap?" Mike said emerging from his bedroom wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs that had huge bleach stain going across them. For a moment Jack thought of those characters in Vietnam movies that go crazy in the jungle and make ear necklaces. Mike probably had an ear necklaces Jack thought to himself with a smirk.

"Well… Dex seems to be out cold…" Mike observed as he nudged him with his bare foot the beer held lax in his hand tipping over. "For about a week." Mike added going over to his kitchen to get himself a beer.

"I didn't know you liked meth." Mike said as he cracked his bottle open on the counter top of the sink, it seemed to amuse him.

"You had nothing else on hand." Jack said trying to brush it off as he rubbed his eyes.

"Beautiful stuff ain't it? One taste and your hooked." And with that comment Mike took a long drink.

Jack shrugged his eyebrows as he scratched the back of his hand, it wouldn't stop itching in fact his whole body itched. Mike took him out of his haze of idly itching when he took hold off his arm firmly looking it over.

"Got the itchies? Ha. What'd you use one of those steak knives in my drawer? Shit can't cut butter but you sure as hell put it to use." He said rubbing his thumb over one of the raw cuts on Jack's arm, Jack hissed from the dirty thumb stinging his skin.

"Knock it off." Jack said trying to pull his arm away but Mike kept his hold looking at him as he thought something.

"You do have quite nice eyes…your brother told me you had blue eyes, I never much noticed till he told me." Mike said sending a horrible feeling in the pit of Jack's stomach.

"My brother?" Jack breathed as his back went rigid, Mike nodded calmly.

"Yeh…came by here yesterday morning looking for his brother. Blue eyes, light brown hair, tall, skinny, named Jack. You were passed out though on crystal Meth, and myself I wasn't all there so I sent him along. If I saw you though I'd be sure to tell him." Mike said the look in his eyes seemed to laugh at Jack who backed away from Mike trying to wake up Dexter.

"I told you he's out for a while." Mike said calmly now taking Jack's spot by the window smugly watching him.

"Until he wakes up wanna share a pipe?" Mike offered with a chuckle under his breath as he did so. Jack felt his throat grow tight as panic began to strike him but he kept it inside as he still tried to rouse his friend.

"Dexter…get up."

"Come on Jack, this ones on me free of charge."

Jack looked away from his passed out friend as he sat back on the floor with a thud the room starting to spin around him. What brought him to this life that he was now wanting more then anything in the world but to go home but wanting even more to get high and forget it all. He shut his eyes, as the spinning was too much to take and lay down for a moment.

Evelyn hadn't been the same since Jack went missing; she tended to linger by the phone more as she looked out the window. Wishing her youngest would come home, wishing she helped him sooner. Four days had gone by, four very long days of looking out the window waiting. The phone rang her mind always hopeful but doubt had over shadowed her hope by now. Yesterday the cops called Evelyn to go identify a body to see if it was Jack's it wasn't but it still broke her heart as if it was her sons body the very idea making her cry.

"Bobby, will you get that?" She asked as her oldest son walked by, he nodded as he picked up the phone putting it to his ear.

"Hello?" He said but only got a long pause the sound of someone breathing on the other line could be heard.

"Hello?" Bobby said again there was more of that long pause before someone spoke up.

"Bobby?" A tried voice said softly on the other line, Bobby's chest grew tight as he bit his bottom lip.

"Jack? Is that you?" Bobby carefully asked Evelyn looked away from the window over at Bobby now her eyes wide.

"Will you come pick me up?" Jack asked talking as if his throat hurt, Bobby took a heavy sigh.

"Yeh, of course…where are you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Ok, sorry that took so long I just got caught up in other stuff suddenly. I'm thinking about having an after rehab sequel if I can think up anything worth doing it other then the purpose of just doing it and it sucking. Thanks to everyone who read the story and liked it, and everyone that reviewed was awesome. This last chapter is the closer for this story so I hoped you enjoyed it.

At what point in a persons life is the point that everything seems to have been sent to hell? If you were a Mercer you were born and raised in hell, it was night and day from a normal up bringing. Kill or be killed, dog eat dog what ever way you liked to put it they were built to survive the hard times. If they weren't, they would have died a long time ago from a beating or starvation at a very young age.

As Jack sat slunk into that old couch his head tilted back, studying a crack in the ceiling he wondered what kept him alive all these times. Mom said everything happened for a reason, but why did horrible things have to happen? Not just to him but to everyone, why did innocent people have to suffer? Suffrage was a long hard road that beat down on you making the sprit old and weary. No matter how much bad came it always surprised you, Jack figured when he stopped being surprised by tragic events was the day his soul had been beaten down for too long.

His sprit lay broken and tired, seeing no reason to get out of bed, no reason to eat or smile. It was as if he was dead but he was going threw the motions of a living person because he felt obligated to do so.

Drinking woke the emotions up, cocaine woke the body up, pot woke the mind up, ecstasy reminded you how it felt to be happy and crystal meth blew all of them out of the water. All his sense that were his by right at birth but were taken away from him he regained with a sniff a sip or a snort.

"Jack?" A voice said sounding as if the person was under water, the voice repeated his name he knew that voice from somewhere but couldn't think of it at this point in time.

"Jack? I need an EMT over here to check him out he's on cloud nine of some shit." Detective Green grumbled standing over Jack looking into his eyes that were blood shot and tired. His pupils had expanded so much there was no color in his eyes only two black irises looking past Green into space. On of the EMT's came over looking down at Jack shining a light in his eye but his pupil didn't dilate.

"He's going to need a trip to the hospital; I'll call in for another squad." The EMT said to Green then went back to strapping Dexter down to a stretcher.

Green sighed looking back down at Jack who at last blinked his large black eyes seemed to at last take Green in.

"Hey…it's gonna be alright." Green said as Jack opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He knew what he wanted to say but the words jumbled in his mouth sticking to his tongue like peanut butter.

"Dexter's gonna be alright?" Jack managed to at last ask his voice was calm and soft he couldn't worry or feel any negative emotions due to the drugs he was on but he knew enough to ask even though at this moment in time he didn't worry about it.

"He's been in a coma for almost two days Jack." Green replied watching the information process in the boys head this thoughts thinking those words out.

"Oh…Well, good thing you came." Jack said still in that strange calm casual voice.

"What about you Jack?" Green asked, he knew the boy was a mess but this was the worst off he had ever seen him and in some way he felt a pang in his chest to see him like this. The Mercer's were terrible people make no mistake about it but they had good hearts buried deep within them that Evelyn had managed to save in all of them.

"Me? Oh, I'm just fine. Just fine." Jack replied softly still his throat sounded painful most likely from smoking too much in the past few days his throat blistered and burnt.

"I can tell," Green sighed as his eyes looked around the room "Just sit tight, alright?"

Bobby passed by Jack's friend tied to the stretcher as he walked back into that apartment his face pale and eyes sunk in. Bobby's throat grew tight as he approached the apartment door he had only visited the day before. It was now open a cop could be seen inside talking to another cop.

Bobby stepped inside ignoring the cops telling him the area was restricted, he saw Green standing over a skinny ragged looking kid and his chest burned up.

"Jack!" Bobby said going over to him tilting his brother's head up right looking at his blurred eyes with a heavy sigh.

"An ambulance is coming soon for him, he'll be alright." Green told Bobby who just spat at him.

"I know he'll be alright, he's just high give him four or five hours he'll run a marathon." Bobby said as he tried to get his brother to look at him.

"Bobby, he's an addict he needs to go were people can take care of him." Green said trying to talk reason with the oldest brother. Bobby protected Jack fiercely, he was the one that dealt with Jack on drugs all these years he wasn't about to hand him off to some stranger.

"You can't help him at this point." Green said trying to make his point which seemed to slap Bobby in the face more then anything.

"I have dealt with this shit since he was 15…" Bobby said in a low voice as if he was trying to keep his anger in check. "So don't fucking tell me what I can't do about it!" He said his words were shouts in the end, the room was quiet for a moment.

"Look." Green said breaking the silence, "We are going to take him to the hospital, the court is going to more then likely send him to a place were he can get help."

Bobby cursed under his breath as he took a seat next to his brother who was just now becoming aware of his brother's presence.

"Bobby?" Jack said his eyes looking over at him, Bobby sighed out of his nose as he slouched back into the couch.

"Yeh, Crackers?"

"Will you take me home?"

Bobby sighed again the knot in his chest becoming tighter as he put a hand on Jack's knee giving him a pat.

"I'll take you home in a bit, ok?"

The court in the end ordered Jack to be sent to a rehab center instead of jail for his crimes, it would be a long three months for him.

His last day home he sat on the bathroom floor, he was brushing his teeth but lost the desire to as the fact he was going away in an hour or so. Bobby opened the bathroom door taking a seat on the tiles next to his brother, he took a look at him for a moment. His messy hair and black clothes hung on his skinny body. His hand's were raw from being scratched and gnawed on to replace the hungry feeling inside of him from the drugs.

"You'll be back in no time, an' me and Jerry are both stuck here on parole so you know we'll be here when you get back." Bobby said, Jack gave a nod as he itched the back of his neck.

"Mom says we can't visit you the first two months, but after that well come see you and Angel will be back visiting by that time. We'll all be together again, like old times." Bobby said not really sure what to say to the brother he felt he had grown apart from in the last year.

"Just like old times." Jack repeated with a nod and a smirk.

"You'll be here when I get out? I'm surprised your not thinking about blowing off your parole again." Jack said to Bobby the sudden dread of his own parole after rehab dawning on him.

"Well…I'll be around for you, you know. As long as I can hang around that is." Bobby replied making Jack twitch a shit eating grin in the corner of his mouth.

"Same old Bobby." Jack said looking over at him with a teasing taunt in his eye.

"Same old Jackie." Bobby just replied putting his arm around the kids shoulder pulling him a bit closer

They would never be good members of society, nor did they really ever want to be. They were just themselves and by no fault of there own. They were murders, thieves, alcoholics, junkies, scam artist. They still had heart though, not for everyone around them but at least for each other and they were just fine with things that way.


	6. Chapter 6

Notes: I'm glad everyone liked the story, I didn't think it would get the response it did.

The florescent lights in this place made him feel as if he was half awake half dreaming all the time. Jack hated florescent lights, something about everything lacking a light source or shadow he couldn't stand but didn't fully realize why.

He grew a distaste for certain things over the past couple months. Plastic folding chairs, grey tiles, people in well ironed button down shirts picking him apart in soft voices, people crying way more then they should feel comfortable crying in front of people. All these things picked away at him, those past couple months as he sat in rehab praying the minutes away.

"_I will never do drugs again your honor…please just never send me to that place again…well…I'll still smoke some weed now and then…" _He laughed to himself only to realize the entire group therapy season was now starring at him, laughing to himself from his own inner monolog.

"Oh…um." He said clearing his throat as he caught onto the center stage he had just taken. "I just, I just thought of something funny…sorry, heh." He grinned, his teeth together forcing a fake smile that he was never so good at doing.

"Jack you day dream threw the better half of these sessions, why don't you share with us on today's topic?" The therapist that ran the group asked.

All eyes in the circle still on him. His cheeks felt hot, it reminded him of day dreaming in school and never knowing the answers to the questions.

"The topic of today…" He said trying to pretend as if he knew, but just trailed off his eyes darting to a space in the room that wasn't some dopey face looking at him waiting for an answer.

"Today's topic is a moment in our childhood that we think of when wanting to drink or take drugs." The therapist said his tone still calm but slightly annoyed by Jack's lack of participation.

His expression changed in a matter of seconds to a blank look , his eyes expressing an internal panic. After a long pause he licked his lips to quench his suddenly dry mouth.

"I don't see why we have to play the "when we were six and didn't get the new ninja turtles doll and it lead to a nasty cocaine habit game", now really…" His tone was defensive and shook at times, he wanted to stand up and leave but he forced himself to sit in that stupid plastic chair.

"Was it just a lack of Ninja turtles that really put you here Jack?" The doctor dryly asked smelling the anxiety all over him

He crossed his legs as he folded his arms across his chest as he covered his mouth with his right hand starring off into space.

"Jack, we set aside this time so we can all be honest with ourselves and face inner demons." The doctor said as he wrote a note on his clip board.

"I know what happened to me…I don't need to think about it." He finally spoke up, he wanted this attention gone.

"We don't know though Jack, all we see every day is a person who doesn't want to be helped."

Those words gave Jack a tight feeling in his chest, as he still looking at the corner of the ceiling.

"You think you're so much better then everyone don't you?" A different voice piped in making the Mercer's eyes snap over in the direction to which it came from. He didn't know the guys name but Jack recalled he couldn't help but speak up and put his two cents in all the time.

"Um, no." Jack responded his voice laced with annoyance, that sarcastic attitude that Bobby taught him so well rushing in.

"I just don't want to sit around every day in a circle jerk full of tears."

"Your file says you were taken into foster care at the age of eight by your now adopted mother, tell us something about before you were adopted."

Images flashed before Jack's eyes, still frames, and short clips, he could remember smells, sounds, textures. As more memories stacked up in his mind the faster his heart raced, his eyes stretching slightly wider. He stood up grabbing the back of his plastic chair gunning it at the wall, people cleared out of the way to avoid getting hit.

"Can you keep a secret Jack? Just between the two of us," He said his voice sounded ragged as if he was momentarily possessed by someone else speaking.

"You can never tell your mother because if you do I'm going to kill her…" Jack kept quoting the voice he heard so clearly in his head from such a long time ago.

"That's enough Jack." The doctor said now on his feet trying to get a hold on the situation.

"Don't worry…" Jack voice shook a fierce angered look in his eyes as if he was somewhere else. "This won't hurt a bit!" He roared his chest heaving for breaths of air as his heart and adrenaline raced making his body shake.

Everyone in the room was silent, frozen, afraid to say anything to the worked up boy in the room.

"That's enough for today Jack, you can go back to your room if you'd like." The doctor softly said after a long pause.


End file.
